Adult Education
A summer education opportunity
Messy Spirituality
Wednesdays, August 18-September 8, 7 p.m. at the church
If you feel like: I don't pray enough, I don't read my Bible enough, I don't share my faith enough, I don't love God enough, I'm not committed enough, I'm not spiritual enough...then this book is for you! Messy Spirituality was written for the silent majority of us who have been convinced that we just don't do Christianity right. We spend most of our lives worried about what we don't do instead of what we have done, focused on our imperfections instead of God's fondness for the imperfect. Author Michael Yaconelli dares to suggest that imperfection, infiniteness, and messiness are, in fact, the ear-marks of true Christianity. He explores the perfection-ism that plagues so many in the church and shares vivid stories that give blood and flesh to the idea of grace lost and found again.
What if genuine faith begins with admitting we will never have our act completely together? Maybe messy disciples are exactly the kind of imperfect people Jesus came to earth for and whose company he actually en-joyed -and still enjoys. Join us in the study of this liberating view of Christian life.
--Updated August 4, 2010
Fall classes
These Sunday-morning adult education opportunities will start on September 19; the classes run from 10:20 to 11:15 a.m.
Contemporary Christian Issues
Contemporary Christian Issues is a weekly educational program for adults on contemporary issues that Christians face each day and how God calls to us to respond to them. It meets each Sunday (September through May) in Fellowship Hall. Frequently, guest speakers are invited to talk about local and statewide social issues. Speakers from Faith UMC also sometimes discuss a variety of timely topics including personal, spiritual, and social concerns. Here are some coming events:
September 19: Exploring the Reconciling Church/Congregation, with Pastor Leigh Brown
September 26: The Immigration Crisis: A Call to Compassionate Action. DonC hristensen, Minister in the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ. His ministry has primarily been in ecumenical, international and educational settings, including campus ministry, Church World Service/CROP and the Augsburg College Center for Global Education.
October 3: Immigration: Why Do They Come? Rev. John Guttermann, United Church of Christ. Church World Service’s Minnesota Field Director for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Church World Service.
Adult Bible Study
Facilitated by Scott Johnson; meets in the Conference Room. The class begins this fall with a 10-week study of the book Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, by James Fowler. The author is a developmental psychologist, a United Methodist layperson and director of the Center for Faith Development at Emory University in Atlanta. In his book he states that faith (more so than religion or belief) is "the most fundamental category in the human quest for relation to transcendence." In this class we will discuss and explore the six stages identified in the book through which pilgrims of faith invariably travel.
Coffee and Conversation
Facilitated by Karolyn Busacker; meets in the Ebenezer Room. Bring your coffee and join this group to discuss a variety of topics as determined by the group. Topics could include parenting, commercialization of our world, prayer concerns and more.
Sunday Lectionary Study
Facilitated by Barbara Greicius and Neil Carlson; meets in Room 221. Explore the scriptures that form the basis for the Sunday worship services each week. Participants will review the Bible passages and talk about the meaning and application of the passages. The class will focus on the Biblical text for the coming Sunday.
-- Updated August 23, 2010
